Deflocculating solid materials and agents therefor.



tion of matter useful as a deflocculating UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD GOODRICH ACHESON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO AGHESON CORPORA- TION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

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No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD Goonnrcn Acnnson, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Deflocculating Solid Materials and Agents Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprises a novel composiagent and for other purposes, and the process of preparing the same. The invention comprises also the method of deflocculating solid materials by the use of the said agent.

My new composition of matter contains as an essential component a reaction product of ammonia and the heat-conversion products of starch, starchy materials and derivatives. This composition is initially prepared in the form of a paste or solution, but may be recovered in dry form by evaporation.

In preparing my novel composition of matter, I prefer to proceed as follows A suitable starchy material, for example a cereal grain such as rice, corn, barley, wheat or the like, is first roasted at a temperature approximating but below that at which carbonization occurs. This may be accomplished in any appropriate apparatus, .an ordinary coffee-roaster being suitable, the temperature and time of roasting being so controlled as to yield a thoroughly roasted product usually of a very dark brown color. This product is then preferably ,finely ground or pulverized. \WThe resulting powder is now moistened ithv an ammoniacal solution, for example commercial ammonia of about 26 per cent. concentration. The addition of ammonia is continued,preferably with constant stirring, until a distinct ammoniacal odor develops and persists in the product, the powder being meantime converted into a pasty mass. The roasted material is capable of absorbing, neutralizing or combining with considerable quantities of ammonia, and the proportion of ammonia to be added is easily determined by the persistence of the distinct ammoniacal odor, as mentioned above.

The paste thus prepared contains the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 20, 1917. Serial No. 197,640.

Patented Jan. 15, 1918.

7 product or products resulting from the reaction of ammonia upon the heat-conversion products of the starchy materials used. For the purpose of deflocculating graphite for example this paste may be diluted by the addition of say ten or twenty times its weight of water, and the resulting darkcolored solution decanted or filtered from the undissolved residue. The graphite or other material to be deflocculated is formed into a paste with this liquid, and the paste is subjected to attrition until the dissolved matter substantially disappears from the solution. This operation is best carried out by subjecting the paste to alternate periods of attrition and relative rest, as disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,223,350, patented April 24, 1917. After the desired percentage of deflocculation has been attained the .deflocculated material may if desired be herein contemplated is preferable considerably more intense or prolonged than in the usual manufacture of dextrm. In fact, a solution having like properties may be prepared by the action of ammonia upon commercial white dextrin, after subjecting the latter to a roasting temperature short of carbonization. For convenience, the products derivable from starch or dextrin by roasting are herein collectively designated as heat-conversion products of starchy materials.

I claim 1. As a new composition of matter, the product of reaction of'ammonia upon the heait-conversion products of starchy materia s. I

2. As a new composition of matter, an ammoniacal solution containing a product of reaction of ammonia upon the heat-conversion products of starchy materials.

3. Process of preparing a composition of matter, comprising roasting starchy matebodies, comprising treating the same with rials or derivatives at a temperature ap the product of reaction of ammonia upon proximatin but below the point of carbonthe heat-conversion products of starchy l nation, and extracting the soluble constitumaterials. 5 ents from. the resulting product by aqueous In testimony whereof, I aflix my signaammonia. ture.

'4. Method of deflocculating amorphous D RD O RI H ACHESON- 

